2008 990 Adventure will not start! When key is turned on tachometer cycles normally. When start button is pressed it clicks and sends the tach into another cycle. New battery, parasitic draw test negative, all fuses and connections appear good.

The situation: After valve check, new plugs, oil change and LED light install the bike started and ran well in the garage. Lights worked perfect. The bike then sat for a month due to my broken ankle, another story but didn’t break it on a bike. Month later…dead battery. At least it acted bad volts were down to 11.8 after a bunch of tries.
Charged battery with “Battery Tender” and next day started and ran well but next day, again the battery acted dead or weak. Did this routine for a few days and the bike progressively turned over less willingly and battery acted like it was just worn out and not taking a good charge.
Installed new QEM battery and started the bike but new battery went dead next day.
Now I have two seemingly good batteries and both will not put power to the starter, just clicks like a bad connection to the starter.

Does anyone have a suggestion for me? I am stumped and don’t have in-depth electronic knowhow to do more.

Check your charging circuit. Once you start the bike it will run without the battery installed as it is charged independently of the power circuit supplying the bike. Sounds like you could either a bad stator or a bad rectifier. In either case, parts are easy to get but will be pricy. Hope this helps.

I had the same problem on my 2007 ktm 990 adventure. I had the stock battery and if I did not ride bike for a weak the battery was dead or weak .
I Bought a new battery and bike would not start. New battery was junk. So just because battery is new it could be bad. When you buy new battery have it checked.

Check your charging circuit. Once you start the bike it will run without the battery installed as it is charged independently of the power circuit supplying the bike. Sounds like you could either a bad stator or a bad rectifier. In either case, parts are easy to get but will be pricy. Hope this helps.

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The bike does not run without a battery. No Sir.

OP sounds like the only thing that changed since you finished your service was your battery going dead. Maybe you should also check the usual problem when installing crash bars and nicking some cables down there. Maybe check in the HOW for testing your charging circuit.
Cheers.

Have your new battery checked.
make sure the terminals on the battery are properly tightened.
Make sure the end terminals on the battery cables are not loose.
Check the main relay connector, known to get corroded and fail.

I would add, it could be your voltage regulator killing your batteries- it sounds like your new battery worked the first day, then died the next. I'd leave that battery in there, jump the bike with a car battery or another moto battery, and check charging voltage both at idle and up to 5k rpm. It shouldn't go above about 14.6v, any higher will kill a battery. And voltage regs on these bikes do die fairly frequently.

I spent the many hours yesterday and today taking apart and reinstalling all the electrical connections I could get to. Still no change, when the key is turned on the tach cycles normally and when the start button is pressed ...Click and cycle again.

Did try to jump with a car battery but no help. I may have been wrong about the batteries going dead. The old and new are 12 v plus and charged. Weird that this problem seemed to happen gradually. First the bike started normally and then the system acted like the battery was getting a parasitic drain. But now I know it is something else.

I have loaded the bike up on the trailer and will take it to the KTM shop Monday. I do trust the mechanic there, he is an ol' pro and has helped me before. I will let you know what the problem is and hopefully save others from this.
KJ